Italian cat food: a list of the best manufacturers
Italian cat food is renowned for its high quality, making it popular worldwide. European pet food manufacturers manufacture their products using select raw materials and adhere to strict production processes. Italy has its own agricultural resources that can be used in the food industry. Therefore, local companies often use locally grown animal and plant ingredients in their food. This saves on transportation costs and eliminates the need for long-term storage of ingredients, which can negatively impact their nutritional properties.
Below is a list of the most well-known Italian premium and super-premium cat foods, which are widely distributed on the domestic market.
Monge
The products are manufactured by the Italian company Monge Natural Superpremium. The company has been in business for over 50 years and has earned a reputation as one of the best producers of cat and dog food in Europe. The food is made from poultry raised on its own poultry farm. The manufacturer claims to feed its chickens and ducks only natural feed, without the addition of antibiotics or growth promoters.
Italian diets Monge cat food Suitable for all breeds. They vary in flavor and can be selected based on your pet's physical characteristics. The product line includes chicken, duck, rabbit, salmon, trout, and anchovy diets. Monge offers food for the following animal categories:
- kittens, pregnant and lactating females (Kitten);
- adult and senior cats;
- sterilized animals (Sterilized);
- to remove hairballs from the intestines (Hairball);
- with sensitive digestion (Sensitive Cat);
- prevention of urolithiasis (Urinary Cat);
- pets living indoors (low-calorie food Indoor Cat);
- diet with increased content of fresh meat (Bwild Cat).
Meat ingredients are listed first in the diets, meaning they constitute the largest portion of the food. However, meat is not always listed as the meat ingredient. For example, Monge Kitten lists chicken (26% dehydrated, 10% fresh) as the meat ingredient. However, it is unclear which part of the chicken is used—meat or by-products. Bwild Cat Hare specifically lists rabbit meat (15% fresh, 35% dehydrated). However, all foods contain protein levels over 30%, indicating optimal protein intake.
Monge also contains the following beneficial ingredients: chicken fat, brewer's yeast, flaxseed, taurine, dehydrated vegetables and berries, etc. Some foods contain rice as a carbohydrate source, while others use corn. Rosemary extract is used as a preservative. All diets are enriched with a complex of vitamins and minerals essential for normal cat health.
Primordial
Italian cat food Primordial is produced by Mister Pet, a company that specializes in premium and holistic pet food. In addition to Primordial, the company also owns the brands Crockex Wellness, Meglium Natural Meal, and others.
Our products are manufactured in strict compliance with quality standards and subsequently certified internationally. Ingredients are carefully selected and steam-treated during production to preserve more of their beneficial nutrients.
IN Primordial feeds The meat component is the most important, accounting for approximately 35% of all other ingredients. The diets contain meat (fresh and dehydrated), as indicated on the packaging. This indicates the high quality of the product, as meat is best digested by cats (which are carnivores by nature). The crude protein content in the analytical composition ranges from 32-33%.
Peas, potatoes, and beans are added to the food as carbohydrates. They are a good source of energy and do not cause adverse reactions. Peas and beans are also a source of plant proteins, which are also essential for optimal body function.
Other nutritional components include: poultry fat, liver hydrolysate, yeast and yeast products, seaweed, dried vegetables and berry concentrates, rosemary extract (preservative), vitamins and minerals.
The Primordial product line includes the following diets:
- for kittens with turkey and duck;
- for adults with turkey and duck, with salmon and tuna;
- for sterilized animals with turkey and herring;
- for cats with urolithiasis with turkey and herring.
Schesir Cat
Schesir is a brand of the Italian company Agras Pet Foods, which produces food for cats and dogs. The company was founded in 1986 and was the first to produce portioned wet food made from 100% natural ingredients. Today, Agras Pet Foods continues to be an innovator in its field and positions its production as environmentally friendly.
The best raw materials for our feed are selected from reliable suppliers and undergo strict quality control. Our production facilities are certified according to international standards by independent food production commissions.
Schesir diets are suitable for all breeds. They can contain chicken, duck, beef, pork, lamb, and fish (tuna, salmon). Dehydrated eggs are an additional source of protein. The meat component is the most important, accounting for 26 to 28% of the total composition. The meat component is listed as dehydrated chicken, pork, etc., without specifying the part of the animal used in the diet. Vegetable protein consists of corn gluten and potato protein. Crude protein accounts for 32 to 35% of the analytical composition (the highest amount is found in diets for sterilized animals).
Rice and barley are the source of carbohydrates. They are the second most abundant, accounting for approximately 19%. Fats are "purified animal fat," although the animal origin is not specified.
Other components of Schesir include: beet pulp, brewer's yeast, flax selenium, pea flour, FOS, sunflower oil, rosemary (natural preservative), vitamins and minerals.
The Schesir dry food product line includes:
- for kittens with chicken
- for sterilized animals with fish, chicken or pork;
- for adult pets with lamb, fish, chicken, pork;
- for older pets with chicken;
- to remove hairballs from the gastrointestinal tract.
Farmina Natural & Delicious
Italian cat food Natural & Delicious is a product of the company Farmina, which also produces dog food. Farmina's roots go back to the Italian company Russo Feed, a specialist in developing livestock feed. Farmina became a subsidiary headed by the son of Russo Feed's founder.
Together with our partners in the UK, we decided to use a scientific approach to creating pet food. Therefore, we engaged a team of veterinarians who conducted research for Farmina at the University of Naples.
Today, the company's products are distributed worldwide. Production facilities are located in Italy, Serbia, and Brazil. Each plant complies with international quality standards for animal products.
Natural & Delicious diets can be roughly classified as grain-free or low-grain. In grain-free diets, fresh and dehydrated meat ingredients are listed first and second on the ingredient list. Depending on the diet, these may include lamb, herring, quail, duck, chicken, wild boar, cod, or venison. The proportion of meat ingredients relative to the total diet composition fluctuates between 60%±10% (including fresh and dehydrated meat components). Almost all diets contain meat (fresh and dried). Only the lamb and venison diets are described as "fresh boneless venison" or "fresh boneless lamb," without specifying that this is meat. The analytical composition contains over 40% fresh protein, making Natural & Delicious a high-quality diet.
In a low-grain diet, spelt (a grain from the wheat family) and oats are used as carbohydrate sources. Meat accounts for approximately 50% of the diet, while carbohydrates account for approximately 20%. Protein accounts for 35-40% of the diet's carbohydrate content.
Other Ingredients: Chicken fat, dehydrated eggs, fish oil, vegetables, fruits, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals.
The Natural & Delicious dry food product line includes:
- Diets with quinoa, herring, quail, duck and lamb for pets with urolithiasis, to maintain the beauty of their coat and skin;
- with pomegranate and chicken for adults and kittens;
- with wild boar and berries;
- with fish and orange;
- lamb and blueberries;
- fish series: herring and orange, herring and pumpkin, cod and orange;
- Pumpkin series: quail and pomegranate, herring and orange, venison and apple, duck and melon.
Reviews
Lyudmila Borisovna:
"I prefer the Italian Natural & Delicious food. It has a healthy formula, a natural smell, and is grain-free (which is very important for carnivores). It's complete nutrition with vitamin and mineral supplements. There's a wide variety of flavors, so you can spoil your pet with a variety of treats."
Lida N.:
"We switched to Natural & Delicious from a more economical food. The results were noticeable within a week. The cat has become more active and doesn't want to eat as often as before. His fur is growing clean and silky (his fluffiness has increased). We will continue to buy him. The only drawback is the price—it's a bit pricey."
Zinovieva Margarita Mikhailovna, veterinarian:
"Italian Mozhne cat food is marketed as premium, but I disagree. The nutritional content is minimal, so it can't fully satisfy a pet's nutritional needs. Furthermore, it contains corn and wheat, which are common causes of allergies in cats. Insufficient fiber can contribute to constipation, and the high fat content can negatively impact the condition of the cat's coat. This food should only be used as a supplement, in combination with holistic foods."
Elena Sergeeva:
"I've been buying Monge for adult cats for a long time. Reviews are overwhelmingly positive. My cat eats it wonderfully, never gets hungry or asks for more too soon. Her coat is in excellent condition—fluffy and shiny, shedding moderately. Her bowel movements are regular. I recommend it."
Victor Grishin:
"Primordial is excellent food. We've been buying it for our kitten for several months now. We have a British Shorthair, so we want to feed him only high-quality food. Primordial's ingredients speak for themselves: fresh and dried meat (50% combined), no corn or wheat, poultry fat, vitamin supplements, etc. We're very happy."
Evgeniya Rybina:
"After my cat was diagnosed with urolithiasis, we switched to Primordial Urinary. It has a very good composition and is considered a holistic food. There was a bit of a challenge transitioning from the old food to Primordial because it smells different. That's no longer a problem. I plan to continue using it. After treatment, we'll try a different flavor."
Victoria Kapustina:
"I buy Italian dry food for adult cats, Schesir, with pork or chicken (I change it periodically). It's a good food, and my cat loves it. He eats it four times a day. He's active, running and jumping."
Inga Romanenko:
"There are a lot of mixed reviews about Schesir food. Some people swear by it, while others are happy with it. I personally fall into the latter category. We've been buying it since he was a baby, and we've continued to do so."
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